Skeletons
by ABettis41319
Summary: Set in season 4 around episodes 8 -10. All at once Castle and Beckett find themselves face to face with what were once skeletons hidden in closets. An AU take on Castle's backstory.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_** _Thank you to Lindsey and Callie for brainstorming with me on this one and answering any questions I had and also for the encouragement to just do it. And to Lindsey for taking time out of your busy schedule to beta this for me. You've made it much simpler._

Ch. 1

She gets to work early this morning, feeling refreshed and alive from all of the sleep she got the night before. She's been sleeping better, finally, and she knows it's due to both her therapy sessions and her time spent with a certain writer.

Dr. Burke has been helping her see that it's okay to take time to heal and that she can do that while simultaneously moving forward in her relationship, if she could call it that, with Castle.

She told Castle what she could on the swings when she came back from hiding last summer and since then, he's been by her side with more fervor and patience than seems possible.

Beckett doesn't feel like she deserves his devotion, but she's still working on herself and in return trying to give him the devotion he's deserved all along.

It's been easier than she had expected. Giving the man she loves more of herself (and yes, she knows she's in love with him, has known her feelings before he ever told her in the cemetery) has been so fulfilling and freeing. She can feel the heavy chain around her neck loosening link by link. She's still stunned that giving her heart away has been so rewarding and healing in and of itself.

And since the bank explosion a month ago, she's allowed herself to lower her walls even more, though that wasn't the original plan.

Screw the original plan.

Castle is a healing balm to her blistered heart so Kate's letting him in, letting him see a little more of her each time they're together, letting him slowly put her back together in a new and better way.

Thinking back to that night, she can't get the surprised look on his face out of her head. They had eaten dinner with Martha and Alexis and then she'd joined Castle for one last glass of wine on the couch. When she finally made her way to the door, she left him dumbfounded after having planted the softest of kisses to his lips before she left.

She had no idea that such a small kiss could bring so much joy and peace to her heart… or his.

So here Beckett sits, wide awake and ready to work at six in the morning, all because this one man has turned her tragic life on its head and allowed her to find rest.

Her smile couldn't be any bigger this morning as she taps at her keyboard, inputting data from the previous case they worked. The precinct is sparse with people at this hour, but even if it wasn't she'd still allow the grin to break free. That's what he's done for her.

He's turning her into a sap and she couldn't care less.

At 7:36 am, Beckett realizes she hasn't even had coffee yet. _Oh God_ , she thinks, _love is better than caffeine_. As soon as the thought crosses her mind, she feels her body react in protest. Her brain and heart may be high on love but the rest of her body hasn't caught up as they cry out for sustenance.

Hesitating to get up, she realizes Castle should be here within the hour with her usual coffee order. She can make herself wait for his gourmet drink rather than fix herself a less than acceptable cup of coffee, even though her body reacts with horror at the thought.

Forty minutes later, Kate has immersed herself in the evidence of one of Karpowski's cases. Standing in front of the murder board deep in thought, she doesn't even notice Castle make his way into the precinct, let alone him standing right behind her.

A hot rush of air washes over the back of her neck and left ear. "Good morning, detective."

She startles. Is he trying to kill her with his deep seductive voice in front of everyone? "Castle," she hisses as she turns around right into his space.

He doesn't move, doesn't even waver a little bit at her proximity.

"Sorry. But I figured if I said hello with my normal voice, I'd scare you even more."

He's smiling and she can see that he's not even a little bit sorry despite his apology. She reaches up with her hand and squeezes his bicep. Oh, she should not have done that. She won't be able to get the firm feel of his arm out of her mind. "It's okay, Castle. Morning," she smiles.

A blooming grin makes his eyes crinkle and crease at the edges and God, if that's all it takes to make him happy she can keep touching him like that for the rest of her life.

Wow. Okay, slow down, Kate.

"So I see we don't have a new case. That's good news, right?" Castle hands her the coffee and watches her take the first gulp of many.

Her eyes close at the burst of flavor on her tongue and she hums. "Mmm, yeah, it's great news. I've gotten a ton done just in a couple of hours this morning."

She's looking at him now with bright eyes and a smile on her face. He takes a seat in his chair as she sets her coffee cup down on the desk, then slides into her own seat and rolls up to the desk. "You seem really…" he hesitates. "...happy this morning. Did I miss something?"

She turns her head to give him what she hopes is one of her better _looks_. "What, can't a girl be happy? And you say that like I'm never happy. Geez, Castle."

His eyes widen and he lifts his hands in surrender. "No, no, You're happy a lot. It's just…" He trails off, and she can almost hear him thinking of what to say that won't make it worse for him.

"It's okay. I'm just teasing you." She leans back in her chair and chuckles at her own mischief. "I just slept really well last night and I feel great this morning," she says, trying to will him into understanding that it's because of him.

By the smile on his face, he seems to understand. And she needs to get back to work, because right now she just wants to lean over to the side where he sits and have that smile of his pressed against hers.

What is happening to her?

Finally able to gain her wits about her, Kate takes a few more sips of coffee and tells Castle she still has some data to put into the NYPD's database.

Never minding that she has actual work to do, Castle nods in understanding and opens his phone to start a new Angry Birds game.

It's been another twenty minutes when she is jerked out of her concentration by a loud clack. Kate whirls towards Castle and sees that he's dropped his phone. She sighs and tries to calm her racing heart down to a normal pace.

She's about to make a smart remark about his clumsiness when she notices that he hasn't moved to pick his phone up.

Beckett looks him over, trying to figure out why and how he dropped his phone, but he doesn't even seem to care that it careened to the floor. His eyes are glued to the television on the wall behind her desk and his mouth is left hanging open. The look on his face terrifies her. She's seen it just one other time: when she was lying on the ground in a cemetery, bleeding out to her near death.

Beckett's own curiosity has her ignoring him so that she can turn her attention to what seems to have caught his.

Breaking news scrolls across the screen as a young male reporter talks into his microphone while standing on a beach as waves crash behind him.

Frowning in confusion, she looks back to Castle to see that he is still enraptured with the news story, so she turns back to it again. The scene is now showing pictures of an older couple, male and female. She doesn't catch the names but she hears that these two people have been found murdered on the beach this morning.

Turning to ask Castle what the significance is of that story, her eyes find themselves locked on the back of a retreating Castle. He's around the corner and out of her sight before she can even get the words out to ask where he is going and what's wrong.

Beckett sits, stunned. Nothing like this has ever happened. Castle has always clued her in if he needed to take care of something urgent or had to leave quickly.

Her brows furrow as she looks to the corridor where Castle had just ran to. "What the hell just happened?"


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:** I'm giving this next chapter to you a few days early. To all who celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving! And to those of you who have read my other multi chapter story Crash Into Me... I know it hasn't been updated in a very long time, but I plan to finish it once this story is done... and yes, most of this story is already written, so it will not be abandoned. Thanks so much for all of the follows, favs and reviews! _

It's been two days.

Two days and she can't get in touch with him.

The moment he ran out of the precinct she wanted to follow him, but when Beckett stood, she noticed Gates eyeing her suspiciously through the office window. Sinking back into her chair she weighed her options of going after him. Concluding that it'd be better to continue to get on Gates' good side, Beckett stayed put.

The few hours she had left of work were some of the longest she had ever faced. With no case coming in, as soon as the clock struck five, Beckett bolted from her chair, bag, jacket and keys already in hand.

Traffic was almost at a standstill and she cursed herself for the miscalculation of the rush hour crowd.

Beckett had arrived at his apartment thirty minutes later and banged on his door as quickly as she could. No response came and after 10 minutes of knocking and waiting she made her way home.

From there, Beckett tried his cell phone at least a dozen times, getting his voicemail every time. The texts that she'd sent were unread according to the read receipts on iMessages.

Beckett tried to get some rest but sleep was elusive as she tossed and turned all night.

So much for finding deep sleep and being well rested. Beckett cursed herself for finding refuge in the short lived respite thinking it was here to stay.

Two days later and still nothing.

The case Beckett and the boys got yesterday has done nothing for her nerves. Usually, she can find some form of escape in a case but not this time.

This time she hands over the reigns to both Ryan and Esposito, as it is clear she is of no help.

They notice but don't say anything. Castle's absence is like a giant elephant standing right there in the bullpen with them, but her boys don't ask and she doesn't say anything.

Beckett is grateful, at least for that, because she has no idea how she would answer them.

She's thought about getting a trace on his cell phone, but Gates would see and that would be an abuse of power. And if something were truly wrong, Martha or Alexis would have called her. Okay, maybe not Alexis, but surely Martha would have contacted her.

So Beckett does her best to at least look busy at her desk, going through phone records while the boys are out actually investigating and getting work done.

She hears the elevator doors slide open, and as per usual the past two days, she turns in her chair to see if it's her writer walking in to get back to work.

Her heart sinks when she sees who walks over the threshold of the lift.

Oh God.

Oh God, something is wrong.

Getting her knees to unlock and rise from her chair is almost impossible as a shot of adrenaline courses through her veins. The weakness in her limbs is not letting up.

Somehow, though, she finds herself face to face with Martha Rodgers. The redhead breezes in, floating to a stop in front of Beckett like nothing is out of place. But Beckett can see the terror in Martha's eyes, how she's forcing herself to act calm, because she doesn't really feel at all the easiness she is trying to project.

Steeling herself mentally for whatever reason Castle's mother is here, Beckett glances her fingers against Martha's forearm and speaks. "Martha, hi. Can I help you with something?"

Grabbing each of Beckett's hands in hers, Martha answers. "Katherine, darling, I'm afraid i'm here to ask of you a huge favor concerning Richard."

"Is he okay? I've been trying to reach him for the past two days."

Martha pauses a moment while she takes in the bullpen. Beckett thinks she's trying to decide something. Finally, her solemn gaze returns to Beckett. "Is there anywhere we can talk privately?"

"Yes, of course." Beckett is already pulling Martha after her into the break room.

Making sure both doors are closed, Beckett then makes sure no one is paying them much mind through the break room windows.

"Is this okay?" Beckett asks as she turns back to Castle's mother.

Beckett expects an answer but instead is being immediately surrounded by Martha's arms in a consoling hug. For who, she's not sure.

Waiting Martha out is probably the best option so Beckett returns the hug hoping to find out what is going on sooner rather than later.

"Oh, Katherine, I'm beside myself. I don't know what to do. After contemplating my options, I think you're the only one. Richard needs you, darling." Martha's eyes are full of sorrow and moisture, the latter which Beckett hopes to quell before the older woman loses control.

"I'm here, I'm here. What do you need me to do. What can I do for Rick?"

"Can we have a seat?" Martha is already heading towards the break room couch.

Beckett nods, even as it goes unseen and follows to have a seat. To say she is dreading the coming conversation is an understatement. Beckett's stomach is coiled tight with fear and her nerves have her so tense, she can't sit still.

The same is true for Castle's mother. Beckett watches as Martha's hands fidget with one another, twisting the leather gloves she's holding and then smoothing them out over and over again. "I don't really know where to start. I…"

Grabbing Martha's hand in her own Beckett gently consoles the woman. "Just start at the beginning."

"Right. Okay, I guess the beginning would be in 1976." Mentally calculating in her head so she won't interrupt, Beckett comes to the conclusion that Castle was seven years old at the time. "The theater was good to me that year, so I took Richard to the Hamptons for the summer. He was so excited, never experienced anything like it. Getting to stay in a swanky house that I was able to rent on the beach, canoodling with the most well to do people... We were both in heaven." Martha smiles and looks off past Beckett, deep in thought about the memories that must be flooding her brain.

"I bet at seven years old, Rick was ladies man even then," Beckett responds, pulling Martha out of reminiscing.

Martha chuckles, "Katherine, he was the most debonaire young boy I had ever seen. He had the adult women eating right out of his hand. He really knew how to work it."

Both women laugh and Beckett can only imagine what sorts of trouble and mischief a seven year old Rick Castle could get himself into… and out of with his charm. "I'm sure he was an adorable handful."

"Oh, he was. And he had so many friends that summer, too. But one in particular stood out to him. It was a boy the same age as Richard. His name was John Gilbert. His parents were some of the wealthiest in the Hamptons and still to this day their wealth is enviable by even the wealthiest of men."

Beckett's brain is kicking into gear even as Marth is still talking. And she's pretty confident that she knows all of Castle's close friends. She can count them on one hand. She needs more of the story to understand what had Castle in such a stupor when he ran out of the precinct.

"Martha, what do those two murders have to do with Rick in 1976?"

"Oh, yes, I'm skipping ahead of myself. I'm sorry dear, I think I'm still in shock. Um, let's see, where was I? Oh, right. John became Richard's best friend that summer. They had sleep overs and spent every waking moment they could doing whatever it is little boys do. I'm sure you're aware that Richard isn't an athlete but John loved baseball, so Richard learned to love it, too." Martha gives a quick sad smile to Beckett and then continues on.

"On one of the last days we were to be there, Richard went to meet John to get a last round of ball in. Their house was just down the beach from ours so the boys always had their games out on the open sand. According to Richard, about halfway between our house and theirs is where he came across his friend. John was lying on the beach, dead. He had been washed to shore. Richard came barreling into the back door screaming his little head off." Sniffling at the memory, Martha moves to pull a Kleenex from her purse.

Beckett can only sit there in disbelief as the waves of a blindside wash over her. "Martha he told me about this a couple years ago. Some of the details are different... but he said he was joking." Her voice is raising and the confusion is pissing her off.

Castle had said he was only joking after he told her the story of his fascination with the macabre. She believed that he was joking but remembered how she felt when she had first thought he had truly experienced something close to what she had, and at such a young age. She'd actually felt closer to him until she realized she was being played for a fool.

Beckett feels a hand squeeze hers. "I can assure you, Katherine, he wasn't joking. He probably wanted to tell you but chickened out. I don't think he's ever told anyone who wasn't already involved. Alexis doesn't even know what happened in that part of his childhood. The boy's killer was never caught and I don't think Richard has ever truly gotten over it." Martha pauses, looking down to the hand she's still holding. "It turned out to be the worst summer of his life… well, until recently."

She can tell that Martha isn't being judgmental, just stating the facts, but oh how the truth hurts. To be the cause of Rick Castle's worst summer has her heart breaking all over again. She thinks she'd rather have her heart torn in two by another bullet than this revelation, but now is not the time to focus on her own heartbreak while her partner is facing something far worse.

Beckett leans in and squeezes gently on the older woman's hand to gain her attention again. "What does this the little boy's murder have to do with what Rick saw on the news the other day?"

"Ah, yes. We've come to it now, Katherine."

Martha's long pause couldn't be more dramatic and Beckett internally curses the actress that has come out to play. Maybe it's ingrained in the older woman, but irritation bubbles up as Beckett thinks this is no time for theatrics.

Finally, Martha finishes. "Murdered on the beach, exactly like John, were none other than Randall and Susan Gilbert, John's parents."


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, maybe Martha wasn't acting after all. The latest revelation hits Beckett square between the eyes.

After Castle ran out of the precinct and she couldn't get a hold of him, Beckett tried to do some research on the newscast that he had seen. But she couldn't find anything; it was almost like the story had been covered up. There'd been no follow up stories, no articles, nothing that she could find.

She thought about calling the Hamptons PD but she wasn't even sure if the original case had been in their jurisdiction, and she couldn't come up with a valid excuse to call and fish for information.

The story begins to form in her mind with the pieces she's now been given.

The boy's killer was never caught.

Rick was the last to see him alive.

It's eaten at him his whole life since.

Approximately 35 years later, the boy's parents show up dead on the same beach in the same manner that he was killed.

Rick sees the newscast and realizes the killer is back.

He's gone to the Hamptons to solve the case himself.

 _Crap._

Beckett's detective skills have already kicked in as questions begin to flood her brain.

One question can hopefully be answered by Castle's mother and then it's time to get her out of here so Beckett can get to work, which actually means getting to Castle. "Martha, why haven't I heard about this? I mean, why didn't this come up when I did a background check on Rick?"

"Richard was a minor at the time, so they kept his name out of the official report. But the biggest factor in keeping things quiet were Randall and Susan, themselves. They used their wealth to cover the story up and out of the public eye. And you have to remember that this happened in the seventies. I'm guessing the police work wasn't what it is these days. From what I know, they were good people, but I'm guessing that the Gilberts paid someone to keep it quiet. Because of that, Richard benefitted from it, as it kept his involvement in the situation a secret, essentially."

Martha stands and Beckett follows. "I know this is a lot, but Katherine, my son needs you. He may have ran off to do this on his own, but I know Richard, he's lost right now and I think you're the only one that can find him and help him through this," she says as she brings Beckett into yet another hug.

Pulling back, she meets Martha's eyes, hoping the older woman can see the determination and resolve to fix this. "I'll do what I can. He'll be okay."

"I know, dear. With your help, I have no doubt," Martha replies and then she's heading out of the break room and out of the precinct.

It takes several seconds for Beckett to gather her wits. When she does, she knows exactly what must be done first.

Knocking on the open door, Beckett strolls into the office without waiting for an answer. Time is of the essence and she doesn't have a lot of it.

"Sir, can I talk to you? It's important."

Gates pulls her glasses off and looks up at Beckett from her chair, her expression neutral.

The courage that Beckett felt thirty seconds ago drains from her limbs, but remembering what and who she came in here for, she charges ahead before her nerves steal her courage.

"I need some time off, starting immediately."

Gates scoffs and folds her arms over her chest as she leans back in the chair. "Excuse me, detective, but I don't believe you have any remaining time left from this past summer. Is this some kind of family emergency?"

If she answers yes, then she'll have to explain that it involves Castle, and that will derail any chance of getting time off. But if she says no, Gates won't allow for time off without a valid reason.

Thinking that Castle isn't a valid reason gets Beckett's heart racing. It's almost like a betrayal and that he's aware of it at this very moment somehow.

"It's not family, Sir, it's my partner. He needs me," Beckett finally answeres as she dares to make eye contact with the captain.

Gates undoes her arms, laying her palms flat on the desk. "Your partner? Don't you mean your tag along who is only here because of his connections with the mayor?" She doesn't give Beckett time to answer. "Is his life in danger?"

"Uh, no Sir, but…"

"I'm sorry detective but the answer is no. I can't spare you right now, and besides, you don't have any time off left.."

With no time left to spare, Beckett makes her decision. "I have to leave within the next fifteen minutes and I won't be back for at least a week."

Gates flies out of her seat and towers over her desk. "Are you going against me, Detective? Because I don't think you want to get suspended right now."

"No Sir, not at all, but this is something I have to do. I don't have a choice. Look, let me take a leave of absence for a week, maybe two, then when I get back you can reprimand me however need be, but this isn't something I can ignore." Beckett hates begging and she knows she's losing what little respect that she has from the captain, but it's worth it.

He's worth it.

"I knew you two were as thick as thieves, but I'm beginning to see that this bond goes far beyond work partners. Alright, Detective, while this is absolutely not ideal, you're the best detective this precinct has and I can't afford to lose you. Two weeks and no more. When that time is up, I expect you back at your desk ready to do your job whether Mr. Castle is by your side or not."

Shocked, Beckett answers back, "Thank you, Sir."

"I'm not as cold as everyone thinks, Kate. I just hope one day that you can show me the same kind of loyalty you show that shadow of yours. I hope he realizes what he's got in you."

Beckett nods and quickly strides out of the captain's office to gather her things. Just as she's about to punch the elevator button, she hears Esposito holler at her from across the bullpen. "Yo, Beckett, where you off to? It ain't time to cut out yet."

Dammit.

She does not have time for this.

But these are her boys and two of Castle's closest friends. They need to be brought into the loop just in case she needs their help later on. She meets Espo and now Ryan, too, in the hallway, halfway between the elevator and their desks. "Listen guys, something's come up."

"With Castle, right?" Ryan asks.

He's quick and she should have known that they suspected something all along. "Yeah. He's fine, I mean… he's okay but he needs me right now. All I know is, two people were murdered that he knew from his childhood and it spooked him bad. I'm going out to the Hamptons to see what I can do. In the meantime, I may need you guys to look into some things for me. Just don't let Gates find out."

The boys nod and try to wipe the looks of concern for their friend off of their faces. "Yeah, boss, you got it. Keep us up to speed and let your boy know we're thinking about him."

With that, she finally leaves.

An hour later, her bags are packed and loaded into the trunk of her cruiser, but instead of being on the road, heading towards the Hamptons and Castle, Beckett is on the seventh floor, sitting in a soft leather chair, facing her therapist.

While on her way home, the emotions of the last two days hit her hard. She knew it was normal to be missing him and scared for him when she didn't know what was going on. After all, she does love the guy. But that isn't what's been bothering her. No, on the way home, Beckett had realized the whole purpose of her going after Rick was to help him heal, help him overcome a tragedy that had haunted him for most of his life.

How could she do this when she herself was in the process of still healing from a gunshot, from half a lifetime of mourning her dead mother? She's broken, her heart in pieces. And not just from a bullet, but from all the people who had left her alone, even from Castle falling in love with her.

How in the hell is she supposed to help Castle, when she can't even help herself?

So she had decided to make an emergency appointment to speak with Dr. Burke, to see if he had any advice on how to handle the situation, how to help Castle in spite of her own shortcomings.

"Detective Beckett, we just spoke a couple of days ago and everything seemed fine. Is everything alright?" Dr. Burke is relaxed in his chair across from her. Nothing seems to surprise him, this unplanned visit included.

Her flats on the floor, Beckett has curled her legs beneath her and to the side, settling into her normal therapy session posture. "Um." _What an eloquent start,_ she thinks. "It's not me actually, it's Castle."

"Oh?" Burke asks. If he's phased by this revelation, it doesn't show.

"He um… he needs some help, my help, emotionally speaking… and I don't know if I'm capable of helping him with everything I've got going on in my own life. I'm still healing, myself, so how can I help him? And besides, he's the one who's good at emotional support. I don't know how to do this." She finishes out of breath, and all of the fight and determination she had earlier now abandons her body in seconds.

"It sounds like you've made up your mind about it, though."

Burke has always seen her, knows what she's thinking before she's told him. "Yeah, I've already taken some time off to be there for him in the mess that he's going through. I want to fix it for him, make it better."

"Kate, whatever is going on with Mr. Castle, you can't fix him on your own. He has to be willing to let you in, the same way you've let me in to help you with your healing process. I think you understand this from your experience with everything that's happened since your shooting. Your healing process didn't begin until you opened yourself up to me and began to trust this process. I believe you saw that I was here for you without any agenda other than to see you get better. The same has to be done with him. If you want to help him, Kate, be there for him. Let him see that he can trust you."

Her brow crinkles as she looks up from her clasped hands to meet the doctor's gentle eyes. "How do I do that?"

"Do you trust him, Kate?"

She doesn't hesitate. "Of course, with my life. He's my best friend. I know he'd be there for me through anything. He has been there for me, even when I didn't want him to be."

Burke takes a second to answer. She knows a hard truth is coming. "You say you trust him, yet you haven't told him that you know he loves you. You lied to him. That's not a sign of trust, Kate."

Even though she knew it was coming, it hits her like a ton of bricks. His response takes her breath away. She knows it's useless to try and hide her emotions from Burke, so she lets the tears well in her eyes, lets him see his truth has hit it's mark.

He keeps going despite her reaction. "It's human nature to keep a part of ourselves a secret. No one knows every single thing there is to know about each other. But the secret you're keeping from him is holding you both back. It's not fair to either one of you." Burke pauses to make sure she's still hearing him. "Sometimes, if you want someone to trust you, they have to see a side of you that no one else gets to see. I'm not saying you have to tell him, but it might just be the thing that helps him open up to you. But then again, it may not. Just something for you to think about."

A single tear falls, not because of what Dr. Burke has said, but because she's ashamed of herself for what she's done to Castle. Even if he doesn't know. "So you're saying if I'm truthful with him, he should see that he can trust me and in return he can be truthful with me?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But if you really want this, you've got to be willing to try."

With a definitive nod she answers, "I am. I'm willing to do anything for him. He deserves it."

"You deserve it, too, Kate. This will be good for you."

"For me?"

The doctor leans forward, elbows perched on his knees. "Opening ourselves up can be freeing. Even if it doesn't go the way you plan, I think it will be freeing in a way you haven't known before, that you aren't now. This may sound weird now, but you'll know it when it happens. LIke I said, though, just because you share doesn't automatically mean he will, but that doesn't mean healing hasn't taken place."

It's a lot to think about, but Beckett has the time as she begins the trip out to the Hamptons. She's already begun the process of opening herself up to the man she loves, now she knows bigger steps have to be taken to get them to the future she sees for them. A future they both want.

As the road passes by with each turn of the tires, Beckett just hopes that this mission she's embarked on to help Castle doesn't actually break him… them, instead.


	4. Chapter 4

Arriving at the gate to Castle's home, Beckett pulls up and enters the code that his mother had given her a few hours earlier. It's a long code but she was able to figure out the first and final section immediately. It's Alexis' birthday and then her badge number, but the middle section had stumped her for a few minutes. She knew it had to be significant as the other numbers meant something to him.

 _Of course_.

The date finally came to her when she thought about the cases they had been working at the time. The middle section of the code was the date they had their undercover kiss.

The man is so transparent in the ways he loves her. She's just had her eyes willingly closed to it all.

But not anymore.

The gate opens wide, and she presses lightly on the gas to allow the cruiser to roll forward as the expanse of Castle's Hamptons property reveals itself.

She should be surprised at the size of the house and piece of land it sits on, but she's not. The wealth Richard Castle has is exorbitant in amount and when he makes a big purchase, she's come to know that he only buys the best.

And she can't imagine anything better than this.

As much as she'd like to enjoy the view and admire the gorgeous house, it's not why she's here.

Beckett pulls the car around to the front of the house in the circle drive. Martha gave her a key to the home just in case Castle didn't answer or wasn't home. She hopes she doesn't have to go inside on her own. But even if he does answer, none of this is going the way she always imagines it.

They were supposed to arrive together, first of all, and secondly, in her mind, it was to spend some alone time together, romantically. After missing her chance to be here with him two summers ago, she only ever wanted to come here if he was already hers.

But now he's facing a crisis that she's not sure she fully understands, yet, and she has to be the strong one for the both of them. And they're not together, not officially, and yet she finds herself here at his vacation home in the most unforeseen circumstances.

Her trunk is open and she's pulling her bags out when she hears the front door swing open.

Beckett peers over the top of the trunk to see Castle appear in the doorway looking disheveled and confused at her presence.

Beckett notices that he hasn't shaved, probably since the day he left the precinct, and he's standing in rumpled sweats and a tee, so unlike the put together author she sees everyday. He looks like a broken shell of the man she knows and her heart sinks at the realization that he's been out here alone for at least forty-eight hours with no one to lean on, no one to confide in, no one to share the burden that weighs heavy on his shoulders. But what unnerves her the most is the gun dangling in his right hand.

Shoving the trunk closed, Beckett resolves to make this better for him, to at least be here for him and give him a shoulder to lean on.

She walks toward him with her head held high and a genuine smile on her face. When she's just a foot from him she sets her bags down and then reaches out and tugs on his tee, pulling him into her.

They're closer than they normally allow themselves to be and she can see his Adam's apple bob as he swallows. His eyes are sad and his lips are downturned but he lets her drag him into her as her free hand makes its way around his neck to smooth down the fine hairs at his nape. Her other hand is still clinging to his shirt, fist clenched so tight that if he tries, he can't get away. Beckett rests her forehead to his scruffy cheek and is finally able to exhale.

"Castle," she breathes as relief floods her body in the presence of this man that she's missed so desperately in the two days that he's been gone.

His arms eventually make their way around her waist and up her back, his empty palm resting on her shoulder blade. It seems her presence has the same effect on him. She can feel the tension in his body dissolve as he tightens his grip around her.

"Beck-" he rasps, then clears his throat and tries again. "Beckett, what are you doing here?"

He doesn't seem annoyed but she can tell in his voice that he's surprised she's here. She leans away from him to meet his eyes. "I'm here because you need me, Rick."

Castle looks at her, from one eye to the other. She doesn't dare look away while he searches for the truth in her statement. He seems to find it because he pulls her back into him and hangs on with all his might. Breathing into ear he responds, "I'm so glad you came."

After a few minutes of holding on to one another, Castle unwinds himself from her and leans down to grab her bags. He leads her inside without a word.

Again, Beckett finds herself thinking about what should have been. How Castle should wander around this beachside mansion, dragging her along by one hand while the other waves around in every which direction, giving her the grand tour while spouting random facts and stories and memories that this place holds. Instead, he quietly goes ahead of her and set her bags down next to a staircase, turns back and silently walks into what seems to be the family room, knowing that she'll follow him.

They both sit down on a deep and inviting leather couch, his somber mood settling heavily over her, smothering the joy that had bubbled over from being by his side again.

Castle's turned away from her, looking out the floor to ceiling windows past the pristinely manicured lawn and to the raging ocean waves. It's as if the weather knows to be gloomy to match his mood.

It's unsettling.

After all the years of knowing him, she's never witnessed such a dark disposition, didn't know he was even capable of it. He looks depressed. It hits her that this mission to help him just became so much harder, is so much bleaker than she thought.

The memories that must be flooding him, the fear she can see enveloping him has her swallowing hard. She's almost sick at the thought of what's eating away at him this very moment. She has to get him out of this funk before it drowns them both.

"Castle." She reaches for his limp hand, twines her fingers with his. His head jerks around to her, looking down at their hands then back to her. She squeezes, but doesn't let go. "Talk to me."

He blows out a breath he must have been holding and runs his free hand through his hair then wipes it on his pant leg. She can see how nervous he is. "I… I don't know what to say. I mean, if you're here, you must know at least some of the story." He's looking back towards the windows again. "It's not something I talk about. I've never told anyone."

 _It's now or never_.

She said she'd do anything for him and now's her moment. She lets go of his hand and scoots to the edge of the couch, orienting herself towards him and setting her hand on his knee. "You want to know my deepest darkest secret?" Her heart rate picks up, knocks heavy against her rib cage. His eyes have met hers again but he doesn't answer. "Six months ago I was bleeding out in a cemetery while being held in the arms of my best friend."

Any light left in his eyes has now vanished. He's now the one turning his body towards hers. "Kate," he whispers.

Beckett shakes her head no. "Just… let me get this out," she says, and she knows it sounds more like a question but she trudges forward anyway. "Then, when I was awake and allowed to have visitors, in walks this very handsome gentleman with the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers…" she's telling him these things in story form because she's not sure if she'd make it through this part any other way. "... And he smiles at me with the most beautiful smile and makes me laugh in a way that only he can." It makes her smile even now.

Castle isn't saying a word, wouldn't dare break the flow of her words.

Her smile fades and she's looking past him at nothing. "But then he asked me if I remembered the shooting." She meets his eyes. "And I said no. But Castle, I remember. I remembered then and I lied to you, told you I didn't remember anything. But I remember every second of it."

Castle breaks contact and shoves himself off the couch and walks over to the window in three short strides. He leaves his back to her. She stands too, but doesn't get any closer.

"You told me you loved me, Castle, and those were the most beautiful words I have ever heard, but I'd just been shot and was fighting for my life. Then when I survived, I didn't want you to see me at my worst, to see the woman you loved in such dire straights. I was so scared that I'd ruin us, scared that you'd see the real me and change your mind, scared that I'd get shot again and not survive. I didn't want you to live with that. So I made a choice to hide and pretend I was unaware of everything. It was the worst decision I've ever made. I'm a coward, a liar. I run. It's what I do. So you see, Rick, anything that you could tell me, about now or in your past, anything you have to say could never be worse than what I've just confessed to you."

More than a minute passes and Castle still hasn't said a word. She can see his reflection in the window, jaw clenched tight and arms crossed over his chest. Beckett is used to using this type of body language, but it is such a foreign sight to see coming from the author in front of her.

She's about to tell him that she'll just go, but isn't that what she always does? Didn't she just confess that she runs? And isn't it the sole reason she came, to be here for him? And she's already going to run? No. Not this time. She promised she was going to do this, be better for him, be better for them. So she walks a few steps forward instead of walking away, reaches his back and lets her fingers slide from his shoulder, feeling the knots of his spine, down to the small of his back. "Rick," she says softly not to startle him. "I'll find a room and unpack my stuff to give you some space."

But before she can turn away, he speaks. "You mentioned the reasons why you lied, things that scared you… but none of those reasons were that you didn't feel the same."

He doesn't say anything more but she can hear the question that he didn't actually ask. She's not sure she's ready to say the words out loud, even though she's sure of her feelings for him, and even if she was ready, she doesn't feel it's the right time.

Beckett steps closer, brackets his hips with both of her hands, rests her head in between his shoulder blades. "Like I said earlier, Castle, they were the most beautiful words I've ever heard." She feels him take a deep breath in. "And I don't plan on hearing them from anyone else." His breath releases at her words and he pulls both of her hands from his waist bringing them all the way around his stomach, completing the embrace. Her right hand finds its way up over his beating heart. It's the most intimate contact she's ever had with him, may be the most intimate moment she's ever had with anyone, and it feels right, strengthens her resolve to see this thing through. She's never been so sure of something or someone in her life than right now in this moment and the fear of starting something with Rick Castle has completely evaporated.

They eventually make their way back to the couch, hand in hand.

Castle seems lighter but he's still pensive and quiet.

Finally, he begins. "I wanted to tell you… so many times. I even did once, if you remember?" He looks up to find her nodding her head. "But I stopped myself because I realized you already had so much grief to carry. I didn't want you carrying mine, too. And besides, I was already such a nuisance, a heavy burden to you anyways."

"Castle," she protests, but he cuts her off.

"I also know you, knew that when you found out it was an unsolved case, you'd look into it. I knew you'd do that for me, but I couldn't let you take yourself away from solving your mother's case on behalf of me. I'd never ask that of you, Kate."

God, this man. It's just another example of all the ways he has wordlessly loved her. To think that he'd sacrifice his own grief just to allow her more time to find justice for her mother, it makes her heart swell with love even more. It also hurts a little that she's been so focused on that one case, she's missed the opportunity to bring justice and peace of mind to yet another person, possibly the most important person in her life.

That stops now. The man sitting next to her is now her priority. He comes first no matter what.

"I'm here now. Tell me the story, Castle."

So that's what Rick does. He regales that summer with more detail and less pizazz than Martha had but it's basically the same story of how he'd met John and became fast friends, how John was always carrying his bat and ball around and that Castle would always chase the ball all over the beach after John had taken a swing at it. Castle liked John because he always kept him busy and out of trouble and John liked Castle because of the stories he made up. Castle smiles as he remembers their little friendship but when he comes to the part of finding John on the beach, a cloud of grief falls over him and he becomes quiet.

"John and I had been playing ball, him always hitting the ball to me because he wouldn't let anyone touch his beloved bat. But I was thirsty and needed to use the restroom so I ran home for a quick break. I was only gone for twenty, maybe thirty minutes… you know how I can get sidetracked." He looks up to Beckett with a sad smile. "When I got back, John was already lying on his back with his face turned away. He was soaked from the ocean, waves still lapping at his feet. I could see that he'd been hit in the back of the head but there was no blood. It had been washed away. The bat that he always carried, would never let go of, was a few feet away where the water couldn't reach. I ran straight to Mother and she called the police right away. They questioned me for hours and as a seven year old, I didn't realize it at the time, but the questions they asked, Kate, they thought it was me. Of course the evidence couldn't corroborate that because I never touched the bat… he wouldn't let me and that's what he was killed with. But anyways, when I saw the news report two days ago, I freaked out. His parents were killed the same way he was. The killer is back, Kate."

He's starting to panic, so Beckett lets go of the hand she's been holding and wraps both of her arms around him to bring him into an embrace, sifting her fingers through his hair as she talks. "It's gonna be okay, Rick. You're safe. We'll go see the Hamptons PD tomorrow, see what we can find out."

He pulls back to look her in the eyes. "I've already tried. They don't want me anywhere near this case. I saw the looks on their faces though, the way they were looking at me. They think I'm connected to this case."

* * *

 _ **A/N:** To the reviewer who asked what birthdate I was using for Castle, it's April 1st, 1969 which we saw on Alexis' family tree on the show. And the reviewer who asked about Lindsey being a good Beta... she's not good... she's awesome! And more importantly she's an amazing writer with amazing stories. Check her out at ipreferwestside. Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favs. You all are the best!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed. You guys are so kind to me! And to the guest reviewer BK, I did not approve your review on chapter 4 because it only had the letter A and then it was blank... sorry about that. I don't know what happened. And I can't thank Lindsey enough for helping me out with this. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Onward..._

* * *

The room is dark, the light coming in from the windows now gone with the setting of the sun.

She's exhausted from a day's worth of nothing but the bleak thoughts and emotional upheaval that her time with Dr. Burke and Castle's story have brought.

Castle is becoming heavy against her. She doesn't want to move, but they'll both be sore in the morning and she's really not sure if her still-healing scars can take sleeping upright in an awkward position.

Beckett begins smoothing her hand up and down his back. "Hey, Castle."

He grunts but doesn't move.

"Rick, wake up. We should go to bed."

"Don't wanna leave you alone. Wanna stay right here." His eyes never open and he snuggles deeper into Beckett's side.

She huffs out a little laugh. "Where's your bed? We can both go lie down in it."

That gets him to wake up instantly. He pulls back and looks at her. "Uh…"

"We're adults, Castle. We can share a bed."

His face lights up. He pulls her from the couch as he rises.

 _It's so easy to make him happy and distract him from the bothers of life,_ she thinks.

She's taking this situation very seriously but she also knows that such small gestures and kind words can help pull him out of his funk, if even just a little bit. So she resolves to remember to keep making such gestures and giving him words he's never heard from her.

She lets Castle use the bathroom first and after she's had her turn she finds him already under the covers, leaning back against the headboard.

His eyes are half closed and she can see the exhaustion from the last few days hanging over him. If he's anything like her, he must have a headache from all the jaw clenching and deep thought he's been in, so she rounds the bed, comes to stand at his side and nudges his shoulder. "Scoot forward a little."

He gives her a quizzical look but does as she asks. Beckett climbs in behind him, situating herself so that he's now wedged between the vee of her legs. She has him scoot down a bit and then pulls on his shoulders so that his back is resting against her stomach. She grabs his head gently and settles it against her chest. Bringing her fingers to his temples, she begins her ministrations. Soft circles with light pressure, just enough to ease the tension and coax the headache out of his system.

Beckett gets lost in being able to touch him like this. She is so grateful for this moment. It could have gone so different. He could have told her to leave right away once he found out about her lie, but instead he listened to her side of the story, heard her apology and accepted it right away.

It's yet another sign of his unconditional love for her, she realizes. How he's so quick to forgive because that's what love is, what love does. Love doesn't keep track of wrongs and God, she hopes she can learn how to be more like this man, more forgiving, kind, and gentle. She hopes she's already on her way because if anyone deserves it, it's him.

The softness of his skin and the silkiness of his hair against her fingertips are dragging her deeper and deeper into total relaxation until her eyes almost close, but she doesn't stop, doesn't want to lose the connection she has with him.

After a few minutes of silence and the mind numbing work of her fingers, Castle finds his voice. "This feels amazing. Where'd you learn this?"

Her eyes pop open and she shifts a little. "Mmm. My mom. She could always tell when I'd had a headache after a bad day, so she'd crawl into bed behind me and draw out the pain with her fingers. I'd always wake up the next morning refreshed and pain free, not remembering when she'd snuck out of my bed the night before."

He squeezes her thighs. _When did his hands settle there?_ "Thank you for sharing that with me."

Beckett drops her hands from his head down to his shoulders and starts a gentle massage to the tender, tense muscles beneath her fingers. "Castle, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," he grunts.

"Why would you buy a house on the same beach that has been such a source of pain for you?"

He sighs but answers right away. "The Hamptons were my favorite place as a kid. I couldn't stand that it had become a place of fear and death. I guess I wanted to conquer those proverbial skeletons in the closet by making new memories and enjoying this place with the people I love."

His answer has her heart swelling with pride. He makes her proud with the way he's always able to look on the bright side of things. It reminds her of her personal mantra and she lets it slip past her lips. "Even on the worst days, there's a possibility for joy," she whispers into Castle's ear as she wraps her arms around his chest from behind.

He's startled by her hot breath, turning his face towards hers as soon as she's said it. "Exactly," he breaths with hardly any space left between their lips.

She doesn't move away.

Instead, Beckett leans in the last little bit as Castle's mouth parts. Her lips connect with his in the sweetest, softest first real kiss she's ever had. She wants to see his eyes, so she pulls back a second after their lips meet. His eyes bore into hers and he isn't moving. She can tell he isn't done yet and neither is she. She goes in for another peck and another and her heart is exploding with the gentleness of it all.

Finally, she settles her lips on his, paints her tongue across his lips, seeking permission to enter. He opens for her without hesitation. It's slow, filled with passion, tongues teasing and tasting, lips sliding and caressing, not wanting to part. After several minutes of a leisurely exploration and learning of each other's mouths, they mutually part ways as Beckett leans her forehead against his.

"Wow," is all Castle can muster.

Beckett giggles but can't do much better. "Yeah."

She pecks his lips once more and then moves to give his neck an open mouthed kiss as she pries herself out from behind him, moving herself to his side.

"Go to sleep, Castle," she tells him because if they don't do that right now she won't be able to stop herself, and she doesn't want to lose sight of the reason she's here.

After a quick breakfast of cut up fruit and two cups of coffee that Castle had made her, Beckett finds herself sitting across from Chief Brady in his office at the Hamptons PD.

"Listen, Detective Beckett, I looked into you before bringing you into my office. You're the real deal and I appreciate the offer of assistance on this case, but I just don't think that would look good for us. I mean, what does that say about this police department if people around here get wind that we brought in help barely days after the murders took place. So, I have to say thank you, but we can take it from here."

He's rising from his seat but Beckett doesn't budge. "Really, Chief? You're worried about what it looks like to have one of the best detectives from the NYPD assisting you? Shouldn't you be worried that you never solved John Gilbert's murder and now his parents are dead? What are people going to think about that?"

His chair creaks as Chief Brady all but falls back into it. He's gaping at her but in the end, he shakes his head. "Fine. But I know Richard Castle is your partner and he in no way can be part of the investigation. Can't have a suspect seeing what evidence we have against him." Chief Brady mutters the last part.

"Excuse me, what did you just say?" Beckett sits up straight as an arrow.

He stares at her for a few seconds then finally gives in. "We didn't have any suspects until lab reports came back this morning with a match of the DNA that we found on the murder weapon. It was a match to one Richard Castle."

It's all a blur from there. Beckett is frozen in shock but gains enough of her senses to have Chief Brady walk her through everything that they have.

The Gilberts were both killed due to blunt force trauma to the occipital bones in the back of their heads. Chief Brady explains that the murder weapon was a bat that was found on the beach next to them. The same bat that was used to kill John Gilbert in 1976. A bat that until 3 days ago, was locked up in the Hamptons PD evidence storage room.

"How the hell does someone break into your evidence room?" Beckett stands, furious at the implication that Castle could have anything to do with this and appalled that someone has gotten passed this police department so easily.

Chief Brady hangs his head. "Believe me, If I knew, I wouldn't be sitting here right now."

"But you're going to arrest Castle?" she asks, defeat creeping into her voice.

He makes eye contact with Beckett and nods. "The request for a warrant for his arrest was just finished and is on its way to a judge. Things move a bit slow, though. It could be sometime this afternoon or evening or even tomorrow morning with the way things work around here."

Beckett doesn't waste a moment saying goodbye, instead striding quickly out of the department to get back to Castle's house.

She runs through the front door, not bothering to check if it closes behind her, and only comes to a stop when she finds Castle standing in the family room, his eyes glued to a TV for the second time in a few days.

"Rick," she says softly.

He turns his head towards her. "Hmm."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she turns him towards her, her eyes already pleading for his forgiveness that she doesn't owe him this time. "Rick, they think you did it. They found your DNA on the bat that was used to kill Randall and Susan. They're just waiting for the warrant to come through before they can arrest you."

"I know." He smiles, one that doesn't reach his eyes and turns back to the TV.

She's confused. "How… How do you know?"

He points and she follows his gaze. "It's on the news, Beckett."

"What? How? How is it even possible that they know already. The Hamptons PD just got the DNA results back."

Castle shrugs. "I don't know, but it's breaking news that I'm the prime suspect in this case and they've somehow dug up the old story about John's murder and are suspecting me in that too. Beckett, they think I killed all three of the Gilberts."

Castle rests his head on her shoulder and she brings him into the warmth of her arms. "It's okay, Castle. They have no evidence that you killed John because you never touched his bat and however they got your DNA on the bat for Randall and Susan's murder, you can disprove that when you alibi out."

She feels his head nodding in disagreement then pulling away to look at her. He should be happy but he's looking at her with sad eyes. He looks dejected.

A frown forms on her brow and her heart bangs hard against her chest at whatever bad news she knows he's about to share. "What? What is it?"

Castle's eyes fall to the floor. "My alibi won't get me out of this one, Kate."

Beckett grabs his face with both hands and waits until her looks up at her again. "What do you mean? Why not?"

"Because I don't have one."

"Yes you do, Rick, come on," she pleads.

He's shaking his head so hard that her hands fall from resting on his cheeks. "No, no I don't. The night before the Gilberts were found on the beach, I was here. I was here in the Hamptons... alone."


	6. Chapter 6

The room is spinning.

Black creeps into the corners of her vision. Dizziness taking over, so much so that she has to sit down.

The latest revelation has her falling back to the couch before she can even catch herself.

Castle rushes forward, settles his knees on the floor in between her own, splaying his hands atop her legs. "Beckett… Kate…" he pleads. "You have to know I didn't do it. Please, Kate."

Her eyes pop open the same time a humorless laugh rushes out of her lungs. Beckett reaches for him, bringing him forward by his face. Their foreheads meet harder than she means too but it doesn't matter. "God, Rick. Are you serious right now?" She breaks contact from his head, dips down a little so he can see her eyes. "You're kidding right? Do you actually think that I would ever suspect you in this?"

"No, I know. It's just that your reaction startled me. Sorry." Castle is running his hands up and down her arms. Beckett realizes this new ability to touch each other has him unable to stay away from her.

She's never been one for a lot of affection but the comfort his touch provides is yet another thing she's grateful that she doesn't have to live without now. "It's okay. You just shocked me is all. They already suspect you and now it's going to be harder to prove your innocence, but we can do it. We'll just explain to Chief Brady what you were doing out here."

Castle stiffens. It's as if her words have stung him, but she knows she didn't say anything offensive. His touch comes to a halt on her arms and he stands abruptly and crosses the room in a few long strides, then paces back. He's got the bridge of his nose pinched between two fingers.

Beckett's internal alarm is blaring again. Another punch to the gut is coming, she can sense it. And she can already taste the bile rising, burning her throat in anticipation.

Finally, stopping his furious pace around the room, he turns back to her with apologies spewing from his lips. "I'm so sorry… So sorry, Kate. I didn't want you to find out this way. God, I'm sorry. If you don't want to help me get out of this situation, I would understand."

"Castle, what are you talking about? Just tell me what's going on." Her patience is running low and she's absolutely tired of being blindsided. But whatever he has to say, she can't imagine it making her want to leave him to let him fend for himself.

"The um… the reason I was out here…" a sheen of sweat has settled on his forehead, Beckett notices. "...goes back to your shooting last May."

If she wasn't already sitting, she'd have been knocked on her ass this time.

Synapses in her brain start to fire and questions arise in her mind, but she's unable to verbalize them at the moment. The connection from her brain to her mouth has seemed to have short circuited. All she can do is let the panic she feels rise and overtake the hard fought control of her emotions.

Castle must sense the war that is silently waging in her mind and body, because he continues to speak so that she doesn't have a chance to break. "While you were still in the hospital, I got a call from a guy named Smith. He said he owed Roy a favor and that favor was to protect you from your mother's killer." He looks up to check and see if she's still following.

She is. Her insides are boiling but she doesn't dare let herself miss a thing he says.

"Except the protection came too late," he says just as he seems to run out of steam.

He doesn't move closer to her and Beckett is thankful. She doesn't think she could handle his touch at the moment and she doesn't want to hurt him by having to pull away.

Somehow she finds her voice again and along with it a quiet anger that allows her to keep her voice low and steady. "You need to explain this to me, because right now I don't understand how you could keep this information from me and I definitely don't understand how this has to do with your weekend alone here in the Hamptons."

Castle opens his mouth to answer but she interrupts with a raised voice. "And how the hell could you do this? You know how important this case is to me. All I needed was a lead… a lead, Castle, and you kept it from me."

"Kate," he says on exhale, deflated.

"Explain! Now, Castle!" They're both standing now, both sets of fists clinched. Beckett can feel her pulse pounding in her neck and forehead and she can see the fight coming back into Castle's eyes.

"You had just survived a bullet to the heart. Do you really think I was gonna give you that new information in the state that you were in? Kate, you would have jumped right back into the rabbit hole and gotten yourself killed. I couldn't let that happen."

"You had no right to make that decision for me. It's my life, Castle, mine! Not yours." Beckett rounds the corner of the couch and makes her way towards the stairway.

"Where are you going?" he asks sounding panicked.

She stops but doesn't turn back to him, doesn't want him to see the tears pooling in her eyes. "Upstairs. I just… I need some space to think." And then she's out of his sight.

On the second floor, Beckett finds herself in a long hallway, several doorways on each side, giving her plenty of space to choose from. She picks the doorway at the very end of the hall. The door is open, and soft light is spilling through as if it beckons her.

When she enters, she's amazed at the size and beauty, open and in no way smothering. The decor is elegant and classy, yet comforting and warm. Opposite of the doorway are three sets of white-trimmed French doors, that take up the whole wall. The middle set draws her in. She opens them and steps out onto the balcony before her.

There she can see the full extent of how big his backyard really is and that it butts right up against the pale sand of the beach. There's a light breeze which causes her arms to erupt with goose bumps. It's chilly this time of year, but she finds it oddly comforting. Despite the dark grey sky and the roar of the waves crashing, she allows herself to calm down to a point where she's able to think more clearly.

Beckett is still at a loss that Castle would hide something so big from her, but at the same time she understands why he did it and thinks maybe he was right to do what he did.

Dr. Burke told her she needed to put herself into the shoes of the people who were close to her so that she could see their point of view on things, how she hurt them when she went away for the summer and how her shooting didn't just affect her, but them as well and in different ways. So she's trying to see his side, why he would do something like this, knowing it would hurt her. And it mostly makes sense.

If he had given her the information as soon as he had gotten that phone call, she's certain she would have ran headlong into the case without thinking, without allowing her body and mind to heal. And she hates to admit it, but he's probably right, she would have gotten herself killed.

The man is infuriating and at times childish but she also knows he loves her and would do anything for her. Richard Castle is a lot of things, but he's not mean, he wouldn't do this intending to hurt her.

Again, she realizes the real reason she's here. It's a sobering thought, so she pulls herself together. The man did not hurt her on purpose and probably saved her life once again by the tough choices that he had to make.

She doesn't have time to wallow in the hurt that he's caused. This is something she can move on from, knowing they can tackle it together later. But right now, Castle needs her. It's her turn to be his rock and this time she won't fail.

She doesn't know how much time passes while she's up on the balcony but it's enough that the wind picks up and colder air cuts through and starts to chill her bones. It's her cue to go find her man and make things right.

* * *

Save for turning towards her when she approaches, Castle hasn't moved.

He starts to get up but she stops him with a hand to his shoulder, lets it slide down his arm as she sits down next to him, leaving no space between them.

Their fingers lace together, giving her something to focus on while she finds her words. "I'm sorry, Castle." She finds his eyes, sadly smiling at his questioning frown. "I thought about what you said and why you didn't tell me about it. I get it now, I really do, so I'm not mad at you. You did the right thing. Thank you for always having my back," she finishes. After several seconds of silence to allow her apology to stick, she leans into him, finding his lips with hers.

Castle doesn't hesitate at the offering of her lips, opening up to her instantly. She can taste his acceptance of the apology in the way he kisses her back.

After a few minutes they both pull back to rest against one another, holding each other in the glory of this new found relationship.

"Tell me something, though, Castle. What does any of that have to do with why you were here in the Hamptons alone?" she asks as she settles even further in the embrace of his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I knew how dangerous it was to be looking into your case, so I needed to get it out of the loft, away from Mother and Alexis. And I knew I could work on it here without anyone finding out. It was my way of investigating discreetly, out here, alone. I had no idea that in the meantime two people that I have ties to were being murdered just yards down the beach." He sighs and lets his head fall to the back of the couch. "Crazy thing is, I left here late that night so that I could be with you in the precinct the next morning. I'm guessing the murders had already taken place before I left. If only I'd left sooner."

 _If only he had waited a few more days or done it a few days earlier he wouldn't be a suspect in this case_ , she thinks.

"So we can't really tell the truth of what I was doing here because that would draw the wrong kind of attention to whoever had you shot and besides, who would believe us, anyways?"

She knows he's right. Castle has no solid alibi, none that they could take to Chief Brady.

And just like that, once again, getting justice for someone she loves and solving a seemingly unsolvable case has been put on her shoulders.

With no more time for lounging, Beckett gets up and starts to pace just as Castle had done while telling her about her about the phone call he'd received. "Okay, Castle, let's think about this. Chief Brady said they found your DNA on the bat. One, you said you never touched the bat because John always had it when you were kids. And two, that bat shouldn't have been at the crime scene because it should have been in the evidence storage locker from John's murder. So three questions I have," she says as she starts to tick off each finger. "Who broke into the evidence storage locker? How did they get your DNA on the bat? And why are you being framed?"

The last question must not have occurred to Castle because any blood in his face has now drained, leaving him white as a sheet. "I am being framed, aren't I?" he asks with little force behind his voice.

Seeing the panic bubbling to the surface, Beckett sits down on the coffee table in front of him. "Castle, hey, we're gonna figure this out. It's gonna be okay."

He's about to respond when out of nowhere they hear what sounds to be car doors being shut just outside his front door.

Castle jumps up first, jogging to peer out one of the front windows. Beckett is not far behind but doesn't make it there before she hears Castle curse under his breath.

Looking over his shoulder, her eyes adjust to the light of the fall day. She sees a swarm of movement as news vans and police car doors slam shut as reporters and camera men rush around to get the best available spot in front of Richard Castle's Hamptons home. "Castle," is all she can say before he's turning into her for a quick hug.

"Call my mother and Alexis, and call my lawyer."

The doorbell rings. There's no point in drawing this out, so both Castle and Beckett make their way to the front door, opening it up to Chief Brady and several of his deputies.

"Richard Castle, you are under arrest for the murders of Randall and Susan Gilbert…" Castle turns around as the cuffs slap around his wrists.

Beckett's heart is sinking. She's helpless in this moment of what may be her worst nightmare coming true. What if she can't save him? What if they never get their chance to really get started?

"Kate."

She's pulled out of the weight of her thoughts at the sound of his voice.

"I love you, Kate."

And oh, it would be the sweetest thing she's ever heard if it weren't for the fact that Castle's eyes shine with resignation, as if he knows he'll be locked away inside a prison cell for the rest of his life.

And then he's dragged off to a patrol car and is being pushed into the back seat like she's done so many times to actual murderers.

This has now become the most important case she has to solve in her life.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:** I am truly blown away by the love this story is getting. Thank you all so much!_

* * *

In the span of just a few hours, Beckett finds herself back in Chief Brady's office.

After they had arrested Castle, she grabbed her keys and followed the squad cars back to the Hamptons PD before the crowd of reporters could catch her and bombard her with questions about her partner's questionable actions.

Now she's back in the same chair pleading with the chief to release an innocent man. "Listen, Chief, Castle didn't do this. You have to let him go."

He scoffs at her. "You know I can't do that. You, of all people, should know how this works, especially with the evidence we have against him."

She can't argue with him on that. If it were her suspect, she'd have cuffed him herself with that kind of damning evidence, and the case would already be on the way to the DA. Still, she can't give up, because she knows without a doubt someone is setting Castle up to take the fall for these murders.

She has to find out who. And why.

"When you found out someone had broke into the evidence storage room, did you have your guys go over it?"

"Of course, Detective. My best deputy went over the logs and security video, and didn't find anything out of place. Besides that the bat was missing, of course," he explains.

Beckett drops her head to her palm. "Are you telling me that you didn't have CSU go over that storage room?" She looks up and finds that the chief at least has the decency to look embarrassed. "God Almighty," she murmurs. "First, you have evidence stolen right from under your nose and now I'm finding out you didn't even properly investigate the missing piece of evidence. How incompetent are you?" Beckett hisses as she stands and lets her palms slap down onto his desk as she leans over it. "Show me the evidence storage room. Now!"

The Chief doesn't dare question her as he rises from behind his desk and takes her directly to the room.

As soon as his key unlocks the door, Beckett doesn't wait for his invitation to go in. She shoves him aside and makes herself familiar with her surroundings.

It isn't hard to locate the storage container for John Gilbert's murder. There's only one and unlike the one's all around it, it's been dusted off. She doesn't immediately go for the box, instead looking all around before touching anything. "Has anyone been in here since your deputy?" she asks without turning back to him.

He answers no and she can see why the deputy thought nothing was out of order. All of the boxes are neatly in place and the room has been kept clean, except for the dust collecting on top of the boxes.

She grabs some latex gloves from the box by the entrance of the room, heads back to the Gilbert box, and lifts the top off.

The sight before her has her lungs seizing. "Did your deputy look inside this box when he checked everything out?"

The question has Chief Brady approaching her from behind, coming to a stop where she can feel him peering over her shoulder. "Yes, of course. He said everything seemed to be in order besides the bat being gone. Why?"

Of course the deputy wouldn't know. He didn't know what he was looking at and wouldn't know that the item before her doesn't belong, just as Chief Brady doesn't realize it either. "No reason. Listen, I'm bringing a person in to have a look around here."

"But-"

"No buts. Do I need to remind you of the lack of actual police work being done on this case? Let me do this, because if not, I'm not above going to your boss and making him aware of the blunders that have taken place in your stead."

Nodding too quickly, he answers, "Okay, Detective. We can do it your way."

* * *

Having called Castle's family and lawyer on her way to the police department, she now finishes up her last, and what may be most important, phone call to Lanie.

After listening to Beckett present the case to her, the ME assures Beckett that she'll be on her way as soon as she grabs her belongings and the file she'll need.

She hangs up with nothing left to do except pay Castle a visit in jail.

The sight of him sitting bent over with his head in his hands on an aluminum bench in a single cell has her heart falling to pieces all over again.

These last few days are taking a toll on her, and yet she knows he's worse for the wear.

Beckett doesn't say anything while she takes the rare moment to study him. As soon as his head lifts, she knows he's been made aware of her presence. Even in jail, he's still in tune with her, knows when she's near. If even a little, that knowledge boosts her spirits and she steps into the light, into his line of vision.

He jumps from his seat, rushes to her and curls his fingers around the steel bars of his imprisonment. "Beckett," he breathes.

"Hey, Castle," she smiles, hoping he can see hope on her face instead of fear, as she curls her own fingers around his. His hands are cold but she can see the warmth returning to his cheeks at her nearness. "I called your family and they should be here soon, okay?"

"Okay," he whispers.

"And I talked to Chief Brady and convinced him to get some help on this case. Lanie's on her way here now and I've called the boys to look into some things for me."

"That's great, Kate." He pauses for just a moment, eyes flicking to the floor before continuing. "What are they looking into? How can Lanie help?" His fingers have laced with hers and as he asks the questions his fingers grow tighter around hers.

Beckett sighs and rests her head against the bars. "I… I have a hunch, Castle, but I'm not going to tell you just yet because I don't want to get your hopes up. And as far as Lanie goes, I think there's a piece of evidence that's been overlooked and I don't want anyone else screwing this up. This is too important and I need her… we need her on this."

Castle smiles and reaches up to smooth his thumb over her cheek. "Okay. I trust you."

Her eyes slam shut the instant he says it. Her partner is in jail for two murders that he did not commit and yet here he is, standing behind bars, picking up the pieces of her shattered heart, putting them back together again.

Beckett splays her palms against his cheeks pulling him to her so that she can kiss him. The bars make it difficult but not impossible. She puts everything she can into the kiss that she won't say out loud just yet. And, God, she wants him free, wants to be able to speak the words that he has deserved to hear for at least the last year if not longer.

Their kiss is broken when a throat clears behind Beckett.

"Martha, Alexis, hi." Beckett breathes as she backs up, trying to ignore the heat that's rising in her cheeks after being caught.

"Hello, darlings. Sorry for interrupting," Martha teases, giving Kate a knowing look as she approaches the cell.

Alexis hangs back, the caution evident in her eyes. Beckett meets her gaze and gives her a slight nod, encouraging her without words to approach her father.

"There's the rest of my girls," exclaims Castle, his smile genuine, lighting up his entire face.

Beckett's in awe of how Castle is keeping his cool and is able to soothe and assure the two women in his life that everything will be okay.

Nothing about this situation is okay, but it's a testament to his faith in her, that he can be himself while standing behind bars because he knows she'll be able to free him of this nightmare and find the real killer in doing so.

The task won't be easy but his confidence in her is finally seeping into Beckett's system and it makes her strong. She's ready to put up one heck of a fight.

* * *

After struggling to say goodbye, all three women make their way back to the house, Beckett following Martha and Alexis in her cruiser.

It's been about an hour since Beckett has made herself scarce in the name of research, when she finally calls it quits and seeks out the younger red head.

"Alexis." Beckett knocks on the girls bedroom. Her door is shut but she can hear the girl rustling about inside.

"Come in, Detective Beckett." Alexis is sitting on the bed with her laptop settled on her thighs.

"It's Kate, Alexis. And I was wondering if I could talk to you? See how you're doing?"

"Sure. Have a seat."

She does as Alexis moves her laptop over to the bedside table and makes a little more room on the bed for Beckett.

"I'm okay. You're gonna be able to free him, right?"

"I'm doing my best. I can assure you that I won't stop until he's out," she promises.

The young girl obviously believes her, because she throws herself into Beckett's arms. "I can't do this without him, Kate. I need my dad."

Beckett runs her fingers through Alexis' hair and cradles the girl in her arms. "Hey, hey, you're not gonna have to do anything without him. He'll be free in no time, okay? Alexis, look at me." Alexis lifts her head, finds Beckett's eyes, and waits. "Your dad has never given up on me and he'd never give up on you, so we're not gonna give up on him. I'll find whoever did this and put them away for good." She lets her mouth lift in a smile. "Then your dad'll be free to bug us with his silliness as often as he likes."

That makes them both giggle. "Thanks, Kate. I… I know I haven't been your biggest fan lately but I'll try."

"Alexis, it's-"

"Don't say fine," Alexis interrupts, her voice stern. "You make my dad happy. I should have accepted that. I just want you to know that I accept it now."

Tears prick in Beckett's eyes. Forgiveness must be a character trait in the Castle family, because it seems so natural for them. "Thanks for saying that. You had every right to be mad. I'm so sorry for hurting you and your dad last summer and I can assure you that it won't happen again. Forgive me?"

"Already done, Kate."

Beckett's pocket buzzes. She digs out her phone and sees that it's Lanie. "Sorry, Alexis. I need to get this."

She squeezes the girls shoulder before getting up, hoping that Alexis knows how much this talk has meant to her. She makes her way out into the hall and answers the phone. "Hey, Lanie. You here yet?"

* * *

She meets Lanie at the Hamptons PD and goes straight to the Evidence room. "Okay, Lanes, I'm gonna need you to sweep this room because it wasn't properly done to begin with. But first take a look at this." Beckett lifts the top of the box off and makes room for Lanie to glance down at the contents of the box.

"Damn, girl."

"I know." Beckett says with the same disbelief that Lanie is displaying on her face. "That's why I need you on this case. I'm positive this is what I think it is but I need you to confirm it. Did you bring the file to compare?"

"Of course I did," Lanie answers as she grabs the offending object with her gloved hand and places it in a plastic evidence bag. "This place have a good microscope I can use?"

"Yeah, right through here."

As they're walking Lanie asks, "Does Castle know about this?"

"He knows I found something promising, but no, I didn't tell him what."

"I almost wish for his sake that it's not what we think it is."

"I know, Lanie, but I need it to be so I can get him free of the murders he's been charged with."

Lanie stops Beckett to look at her. "I'm with you on that, so let's get it done."

They give eachother a quick hug and then turn back to continue walking towards the tech's workstation where they find a microscope. Lanie takes a second to gain her composure, looking over the space to familiarize herself with it. After several seconds she gets to work.

Beckett stands out in the hallway because it's too tempting to hover over Lanie's shoulder, wondering what the ME sees and if it will actually set Castle free.

Her mind begins to wander. She starts wondering if what she found in the box is just wishful thinking, and whether it's actually completely different than what she thinks it is. She thinks that maybe she's just seeing what she wants to see and that she's just finding someone else to place the blame on when all the evidence actually implicates Castle.

 _Enough!_

Richard Castle is no murderer and her instincts are good. Her instincts have helped solve hundreds of murders and have the best solve rate in the NYPD, both with and without Castle. This is no time to doubt her instincts.

Just as Beckett makes her way to the doorway to check in on Lanie, Lanie appears before her, pale faced and disbelieving.

"Lanie?" Lanie stares at Beckett for what seems like forever. "Just tell me."

"You were right, Kate. Your gut was right."

Dammit.


	8. Chapter 8

Even though it's a smoking gun in her mind, Beckett knows the Hamptons PD will need more than speculation. They'll still need something concrete to refute Castle's DNA that was found on the bat, so Beckett stays with Lanie late into the night while her friend goes over the files of John's murder and compares samples of DNA with new techniques that were not around in the seventies.

Beckett wants to rush to Castle's cell and fill him in on what she had found in the box of evidence earlier in the day, but she decides not to until every piece of the puzzle is in place, so she can ensure his release.

Finally, Lanie is confident that they have what they need, so the two of them go to meet Chief Brady and the deputies in charge of the case.

While Lanie explains the intricate details of her DNA analysis and what it means, Beckett is silently forming a plan that will get Castle out of jail unnoticed.

The media has become relentless in their coverage of the case in the less than twenty four hours that Castle's been incarcerated, setting up post in front of the station, berating anyone who enters and exits with questions about Castle's theoretical guilt and what it's like for him in jail, so it's the least she can do to give him some privacy once released.

Because he _is_ going to be released.

She hears Lanie finishing up her explanation and can see by the look on Chief Brady's and the deputies' faces that it's enough to have the charges dropped. Relief washes over her and she is truly satisfied in finding what she needed to in order save Castle from a life in prison.

Thirty minutes later, as the chief prepares to brief the press on the new case findings, Beckett and Lanie make their way to Castle's cell with supplies in hand.

"Beckett! You're back," Castle beams. "Thank God. It's so lonely in here." He winks as soon as he says it.

The overnight stay in a jail cell hasn't seemed to break him and good Lord, she needs time alone with this man. They've got time to make up for and after three and a half years of waiting her patience is all but gone.

"Oh, ye of little faith, Castle. I told you last year if you ever went to jail that I'd bust you out. Well, here I am," she says joyfully as she unlocks the bars and opens it wide.

His jaw drops, and for a few moments, he's actually speechless. "Wha… What? I'm out?"

"Yup, Castle! And unless you want to stay I suggest you get that booty of yours movin'," Lanie cuts in.

Beckett chuckles at the shocked look on Castle's face, both at her statement and that she's even there to begin with. "Lanie, hi. I didn't see you there."

"Hey, Castle." Lanie says in greeting. "Your girl here had one heck of a hunch that turned out to be right. You're free, thanks to Kate. So I'm here to help bust you out. Now put this uniform on and don't ask any questions," Lanie demands as she hands him a deep blue police uniform, hat, and boots.

Castle does as he's told while Beckett and Lanie keep their backs to him, while explaining that they're smuggling him out of the station so that the press won't bombard him with questions.

"Okay, all done. How do I look?"

Beckett and Lanie both turn to see that Castle has transformed himself into a Hamptons police officer. The sight instantly has Beckett's mouth watering. The material around his biceps and broad shoulders is a snug fit, which perfectly accentuates the muscles underneath, and the tucked in button down shows off his slim waist. She's never been one for such fantasy but Richard Castle in uniform may just become her new favorite thing. "You look, um… You look fine," she says breathlessly as she finally meets his smirking face.

Lanie laughs at how transparent Beckett is, knowing she thought she was hiding her reaction to seeing the author in uniform. "Uh huh. He looks real fine. Don't even try to deny it, girlfriend." They all three laugh and the tension is broken. "Alright, you two should get out of here and go be with your family."

Castle pipes up. "You're not coming with us?"

"No, I gotta stay here and check a few more things out and then I'm headed back to my lab," Lanie explains.

Beckett pulls her friend in for a fierce hug. "Thank you so much for all you've done. I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything, Kate. Just take care of your man."

Castle's still not sure what all the ME has done but he thanks her anyway with a hug of his own.

It takes no time to make their way out the back door of the station and to Beckett's waiting cruiser. She's honestly surprised at how well the uniform worked to avoid the media firestorm and is able to get him to his Hamptons home in no time.

"Now that we're here, you gonna tell me how you got me out?" Castle asks as he unbuckles his seatbelt.

"Sure, Castle. As soon as you see your family we'll talk." She can see that Castle doesn't want to wait but the reminder of his family waiting inside propels him out of the car. "And hey." He turns back, looking at her through his open door with a furrowed brow. "We should probably talk in private, then you can decide what you want to tell Martha and Alexis."

She knows she just confused him but she doesn't dare want to be the one to break the news of who framed him in front of his family. "Okay. Let's go, Kate."

Detective Beckett watches as Castle's family ecstatically greets him with hugs and exclamations of joy over his release, knowing all along that he was innocent. She can see that he's torn, wanting to give Martha and Alexis all the time they need but also needing to gain answers that he's craved ever since Beckett made him aware that he was being framed.

He finally pulls aways from the two women who have him wrapped in their arms, kissing each of them on the forehead one final time. "Girls, I need to speak with Kate in private, but I promise as soon as we're done we'll continue this celebration with some ice cream, okay?"

They nod and he breaks away, turning to Beckett, reaching out for her hand to lead her into his private library.

Once there he doesn't waste anymore time. He turns to her and asks, "Beckett, what's going on? You're not doing a very good job of keeping the terror out of your eyes, ya know." He backs up and leans against his desk as he pulls her toward him with the momentum.

The feel of his palms bracketing her hips calms her down and a breath of relief escapes her lungs. "God, Castle I don't want to be the one to tell you this," she says as she plucks the collar of his uniform in her fingers then smooths it back down.

"Just tell me, Kate." He's begging and she can feel a slight tremor radiating from his fingers.

She takes a deep breath and begins. "When I pulled the lid off of John Gilbert's box of evidence, I saw a piece of nylon rope about six inches in length lying on top of everything else." Beckett sucks in another breath waiting for Castle to interrupt her. He doesn't so she pushes forward. "The rope was white and green in color." Her brows raise and she waits for that nugget of information to sink into his brain.

Castle looks over her shoulder at nothing behind her and she can tell his brain is working in overdrive to process what she has just said. He finally looks back up to her with a frown across his face. "What are you saying?"

"That's why I had Lanie come. She took the fibers from the piece of rope I found and compared it to some other fibers from a case that we've worked before. Lanie was able to confirm my suspicions." She takes a deep breath and wills her voice to remain steady. "The fibers are a match to the same rope that Jerry Tyson used in his previous murders. Castle, he framed you. Jerry Tyson is back."

Castle doesn't speak. He doesn't move and she thinks she may have finally broken him. His eyes roam over her face and she can tell that he doesn't want to believe her, but he knows she's telling the truth. It's a long minute before he speaks again. "But that's not enough evidence to refute the fact that they found my DNA on the bat."

Beckett wants to rejoice. Her partner is still here and his brain still seems to be firing on all cylinders. "Exactly, it wasn't enough, so Lanie did some more digging. She compared your DNA profile to the one they found on the bat. She wouldn't tell me what she found until she made a phone call to who, in her words, is 'the top expert in DNA profiling in the whole United States,'" she says, using air quotes. "Anyways, he confirmed her findings and then she explained to me that the DNA profile found on the bat was so miniscule that it in no way could conclude that you had ever handled the bat. She said that such a small profile of DNA could mean that the tiniest sliver of your dead skin could have fallen on the bat just by being ten feet in proximity to it, but that if you had actually touched it then there would have been a full profile of DNA which is clearly not the case." Beckett sucks in a deep breath and pauses to let her explanation sink in.

"Wow, that's…" his brow furrows and she can see that he's processing this new information.

"Yeah, so either Tyson had something with your DNA on it when he messed with the bat or your DNA found its way onto the bat years ago when you were playing with John and our new technology just picked up on it the other day when Chief Brady had the bat examined. Either way, it's conclusive enough to know that you didn't touch the bat and the Hamptons PD now have no evidence that puts you at the murder."

It's good news, but the idea of celebrating with bowls of ice cream is long gone since the knowledge brings with it the fact that Jerry Tyson has returned.

It's the only logical explanation for the rope being in the box as Beckett also explains to Castle that she checked the evidence item log and found that the piece of rope never belonged there to begin with.

They're both still, not moving as thoughts flood their minds of what it all means and Beckett remembers back to when she found Castle alone by a pool, sitting silently in his misery knowing that a serial killer had so easily slipped through his hands. She'll never forget him blaming himself and she can see the guilt creeping back into his conscience.

"Hey, we'll get him, Rick. He can't run forever." It's the only concession she can give him and she prays he believes it. because she's not sure she does.

He nods in acceptance.

"One thing I don't get, though." She has his full attention again. "How'd he find out about your past? It was so well buried. Hell, I don't know if I would have found out about it."

"He's persistent, Beckett. He's been planning something big against me ever since I foiled his plans last year. All he had to do was dig a little deeper, go back a little farther into my history. I wasn't hiding it to deceive anyone… it's just something I don't talk about."

"You really know how to piss'em off, huh?" Beckett tries to joke, to get the serious look of his face. And it works because Castle smiles for the first time in what seems like forever.

"Well, I figure if I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna go all the way. You're not living until you have a serial killer chasing after you." It's supposed to be funny but it sobers them both in an instant.

Beckett closes the distance between his legs so that his hips come in contact with hers, cradling her there. She brings her arms around his shoulders and squeezes as she breathes into the crook of his neck. "I know I've said it a hundred times already but it's gonna be okay. You're mine now and I'm not letting anything happen to you."

He completes the embrace and squeezes back, speaks into her hair on exhale. "Thank you."

"Dad!"

They both startle but Beckett doesn't let go of Castle. She turns towards Alexis, standing at the doorway, a panicked look in her eyes.

"What is it, Pumpkin?"

"Is it true what they're saying?"

Castle stands but doesn't take his arm from Beckett's shoulders. "What who's saying?"

"The news, Dad. They're saying Jerry Tyson is responsible for Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert's murder. They're saying he's back."

So much for letting his family find out the proper way. Beckett grasps his hand firmly hoping to impart strength into him that she herself does not feel.

He pulls Alexis into his empty side, now holding a woman in each of his arms. He glances a kiss off of the younger girl's temple and sighs. "Yeah, sweetheart, looks like he's back."

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _This is the chapter that started it all. A couple of months ago, I watched the Amanda Knox documentary on Netflix. With the evidence they had against her, I thought for sure she was guilty, until they explained about DNA profiling and that the knife with her DNA on it was had such a small DNA profile on it that it was more than likely contaminated by the crime scene investigators kicking up dust and such from her home. Crazy! Anyways, I'm sorry if I didn't explain it well enough but after watching the documentary I couldn't help but think about Beckett and Castle and his back story, and thus, this story was born._

 _Also, I've said I'd never write a 3XK story, but here we are. I hope you're still with me after that reveal._

 _Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed. You've made it fun for me. And thank you for following and favoriting. There are two more chapters to go, the last one being in the hands of my awesome beta, Lindsey._


	9. Chapter 9

The four occupants of the massive vacation home have been sitting around the TV for hours now.

After Alexis' intrusion into the library, Castle along with Beckett, took his daughter and mother into the family room and explained to them that yes, Jerry Tyson was back.

So here they are, watching the news and flipping the channels to see if any of the stations have new or different information.

They don't and besides, Beckett would be the first to know if they did.

An hour ago she had called the boys to fill them in and they promised in return to keep their eyes and ears open while she was away with Castle. They wished her well and she quickly got off the phone to rush back to the family that has, overtime, become her own.

She rejoins them on the couch as she observes the TV personality gripping a microphone while reporting the latest information. Castle pulls Beckett in tight, burying his nose into her hair as the report continues.

" _Richard Castle, millionaire best selling author of over two dozen novels, has now been_

 _released in a strange turn of events in the Gilbert murders that took place five nights ago here in the Hamptons. I'm told that the evidence the Hamptons PD had against Mr. Castle has become inconsequential in light of new information the PD received just hours ago. That information brought with it the shocking revelation that fugitive serial killer Jerry Tyson is now the prime suspect in the murders of Randall and Susan Gilbert. One mystery still remains though: Who killed John Gilbert all those years ago?"_

Castle sighs, letting his head fall to Beckett's shoulder. "You okay?" she whispers into his cheek.

"Yeah. I'm just tired. We have answers for Randall and Susan's murders but all Tyson has done is drag up the past and now I can't quit thinking about who killed John… and how I can't figure it out." He runs a hand down his face. "And I know the media is gonna blame me until they get the truth."

"Hey," Beckett says as she leans in, giving his cheek a soft kiss. "How 'bout you and I stay out here a few more days and see what we can find. Think about it, all this time you've been trying to figure it out by yourself. Now you have the help of your partner. It's what we do best, right? Solve murders together?"

The thought makes him smile. "Yeah, we do." He wraps his arm around her waist, hugs her tight in thanks.

"Dad?"

Castle and Beckett both turn to Alexis, who is sitting cross legged on the other side of the sectional sofa worryingly chewing on her finger nail. It occurs to Beckett that she's already so comfortable with Castle that she forgot his family was nearby. It makes her sit up straighter but she doesn't let go of the man in her arms.

"Yeah, Pumpkin?"

"Will you tell me about your friend John?" she asks so quietly. Beckett thinks that she must be worried that he won't want to talk about it, but Castle smiles and sits up too. His daughter wants a story so he'll give her one.

"Okay, but let me explain something first." Twining his fingers together as he rests his elbows on his knees, his face scrunches in thought. "I never told you about what happened before, because you were so young and innocent, Alexis, and your spirit is so light and carefree. I didn't want you to be bogged down with my grief and I didn't want you to have to worry about a killer walking the streets a free man somewhere. But you do deserve to know and well… you know about Tyson so I think you can handle this story with no problem." Castle gets up and makes his way over to where she sits and plops down right next to her. Alexis falls into his side as the couch dips under his weight.

Beckett listens as he turns his summer in the Hamptons into an enjoyable tale. His words are so vivid that all three ladies are instantly immersed in the story and transported into the summer of seventy-six.

When he's all done, Alexis hugs him tight. "Thanks for telling me, dad. I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Me too. Now, I think it's time for bed. Mother is taking you back to the city in the morning. I can't have you missing anymore school because your dear ol' dad is in jail." They all laugh and then disperse, making their way to their respective rooms.

Beckett follows Castle hoping he'll want her in bed with him again, because she's not about to sleep alone when she just got him back and Jerry Tyson is out there roaming free.

Her silent hopes are answered immediately. Castle pulls her into an embrace only meant for lovers as soon as the master bedroom door is shut. His lips find hers and all thoughts of the case and worries about Jerry Tyson are gone. The man can kiss and by God if he's kissing her like this, who is she to say no.

He plunders her mouth as if it's something to conquer. She has no problem acquiescing to his rule over her and allows him to take all he needs.

Their hands roam and caress and discover each other after three and a half years of restraint. It's so good and oh, his tongue inside her mouth has her body igniting with flames of pleasure and desire.

Just as quickly as the embrace started, it ends when Castle suddenly pulls his mouth away from hers in a loud smack. "Damn, Beckett!" Castle breathes into her mouth, not letting her go far. "I'm not worried about Jerry Tyson when you're gonna be the death of me."

And yeah. That's a mood killer.

Beckett chuckles and quickly kisses him a couple more times. "If you can't handle the heat, stay outta the kitchen, Castle," she purrs.

"Oh, a Heat reference straight from the mouth of my muse. Sexy." Castle growls, and it takes everything Beckett has not to jump up and wrap her legs around him.

"C'mon Castle, get changed. It's bedtime and we're going to sleep. That's it," she commands, trying to convince herself more than the man before her.

Once they meet in the middle of the bed, Beckett wastes no time throwing a leg over his, laying her head on his shoulder and begins to caress his shirt covered pec with her fingers.

They lay there in silence for a while, basking in the intimacy they now find in one another. Castle's hand travels over one shoulder while the other plays just underneath the hem of her night shirt. The burden of her lie is finally gone, as is his, and her heart feels free now that they're here, together, with no secrets between them.

She does have one question though. "So, I'm guessing your fascination with murder and mystery started because of what happened to John?"

Beckett feels him adjust under her body. He clears his throat to explain. "Yeah. I was always a storyteller as a kid. But after John died…" His eyes glaze over as he looks to the ceiling as if it holds the answers he needs. "... my stories always ended up with death, someone dying. And then I'd have to solve the mystery to give it a proper ending. I guess it's my way of coping with never getting answers. So yeah, that mystery made me who I am and Tyson used it to get back at me. This was his plan all along. He wanted to see me suffer by bringing up my past and framing me for two more murders that I didn't commit. It's quite brilliant, actually."

Beckett can't help but push herself up onto her elbow. "He didn't get away with it, Castle. I'd never let him," she says while she trails her fingertips along his jaw.

He stops her fingers and pulls them to his lips in a sweet kiss. "Thank you for believing in me this whole time."

Smiling, she leans down to kiss him slow and soft. At last, she answers, "Of course, Castle. I love you. I'm in love with you and I'd do anything for you."

His breath hitches and Beckett can see tears begin to pool in his eyes. "God, Kate," is the only thing he can manage at the moment, so he drags her down in a bone crushing hug.

After sometime, she hears his breathing even out, and after a soft kiss to his chest, she allows herself to drift to sleep.

Morning arrives and Castle and Beckett see off both Martha and Alexis, wishing them safe travels. It's a little too early to make their way to the Hamptons PD, so they fix a nice breakfast and enjoy each other's company in closer proximity than ever before.

"Do you really think we'll find anything new?" Castle asks, his hand curled around her knee as they sit at the counter. His confidence that he had last night in figuring out who the killer is seems to be lacking this morning.

Beckett tries to give him a boost with her enthusiasm. "Think about it. The police work has been so shoddy the last few days. I can't imagine it was any different in John's case. Whatever is missing, we'll find it, Castle."

After about an hour of talking and enjoying each other's company, Castle and Beckett eventually make their way back to the station they've recently become so familiar with.

Arriving, it's obvious the media has not let up. The story of Jerry Tyson's most likely return and the reemergence of interest in John's old case is the biggest thing to hit the Hamptons in a long while so it's no surprise, really, that the news outlets are going to milk this as long as possible.

As soon as Castle's foot hits the concrete, someone from the press notices, and he's swarmed within seconds, microphones and recorders being shoved in his face.

 _How does it feel to be framed for murder?_

 _Are you afraid for your safety?_

 _Are you here to be questioned in the murder of John Gilbert?_

 _How does it feel to know that you were the last person to see him alive?_

The questions come in rapid fire and he's able to ignore them all except the last one. Castle makes eye contact with the young woman who asks. His eyes are full of fire causing the girl to cower a little even as she shoves her microphone further into his personal space. "Let's be clear on one thing." Everyone's attention is on him and they dare not make a sound to miss his declaration. "I was not the last person to see John Gilbert alive. The killer was. Now if you'll excuse me," he growls as he shoves his way past the crowd of hungry vultures.

Beckett's waiting on him at the back of the pack and she doesn't hesitate to grab his hand, guiding him forward and away from the judging eyes and camera lenses that follow his every move.

Inside, Chief Brady meets them with apologies for the way the press is treating him.

"You mean, kind of like how you treated me in Randall and Susan's case?" he questions. Beckett presses her fingernails into his palm to stop him from saying anything else.

The chief stops and squares his shoulders in line with Castle's. "I'm sorry, Mr. Castle. I hope you can appreciate that I was just doing my job by following the evidence."

Castle sighs, rubbing the lines in his forehead. "No, I know. I'm sorry, it's just been a long week. Can we just get to John's case files, please?"

Chief Brady nods in understanding and leads them to his office where they can go over all the information the police department has on the unsolved mystery.

"There's not much here, just what you've already seen in the box," he says as he pushes it towards them.

Beckett reaches in and grabs the thin file, reading the reports quickly, then handing it over to Castle.

That there are only two written police reports, one from each parent, bothers her. She thinks there should be more even with the exclusion of Castle's. She sits lost in thought for a few moments when Castle notices. Not wanting to dismiss anything he leans over to ask, "Hey, Beckett, what is it?"

She ignores his question, instead raising her inquiring eyes to Brady. "There can't be very many unsolved murders here in the Hamptons. Why was this case never reopened? Surely you've had the time?"

If her insinuation of him not doing his job bothers him, it doesn't show. "Well, sure. But it's not that simple."

Beckett is about to interrupt at the ludicrous remark but Chief Brady holds a hand up to stop her. "There's a rumor that the chief before me was paid off to keep this case buried."

"Paid off by whom?"

"The Gilberts," he answers as if it should clear everything up.

It does make sense. Martha has already explained to her that the Gilberts wanted to keep the case quiet. But now that she thinks about it she wonders why in the world his parents wouldn't want to find justice for their own son?

Brady continues, breaking her flow of thoughts. "And when I came into this position as chief, the Gilberts were very generous with their funds, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars towards our department, whether it be for new construction where our old buildings were crumbling or pay increases for our officers or even a new lot of squad cars and equipment. I felt obligated to keep the case closed even if they never specifically asked me to. It was the least I could do."

Beckett erupts into a fit of anger, not able to keep her voice down. "The least you could do? You think you're doing favors by not getting justice and allowing a killer to walk free?" She is truly astonished by Brady's lack of competence and his twisted thinking.

Not being able to stay in the chief's presence any longer, Beckett tugs on Castle's shirt at his shoulder. "C'mon, Castle. Let's get out of here."

He doesn't question her, following in an instant. He's heard enough and seems to be just as appalled as Beckett.


	10. Chapter 10

Instead of going back to the house, Beckett drives them to a little coffee shop she's seen several times while driving back and forth from Castle's to the station.

Once inside she notices that the shop is quaint and quiet. They give their orders at the counter and then easily find a seat.

Ever the gentleman, Castle stays standing until Beckett is seated. She scoots all the way over and to his obvious surprise, tugs on his cuff so that he'll sit next to her instead of in the opposite chair.

For three and a half years, she's had no problem restraining herself, resisting his charm, but now that they're doing this, she has no willpower left to keep him at arm's length, so she doesn't even try. If she wants him close, he's going to be close.

Castle's pleased. She can tell by the smile on his face… and yeah, she knows exactly what each of his smiles mean, and this one has butterflies tumbling in her stomach. He's so pleased, in fact, that he leans into her while palming her cheek, granting her a gentle kiss. It's quick, but they don't pull apart, instead bumping their noses together, caressing silently while taking one another in.

"I love you," he says as if it's something he's been doing all along.

"Mmm, love you, Castle."

And oh… it feels good to say and she can't believe how easy it is to free those words after only one other time with him.

"Here you are," the waitress says as she sets down their order and they separate just enough to thank her.

"So."

"So," Beckett repeats.

"I was thinking… isn't it weird that there were only two reports in that file?"

 _Thank goodness for our shared brain thing_ , she thinks. "Yes! That's exactly what I was thinking. Why didn't the cops talk to more people, your mom even? And as wealthy as the Gilberts were, wouldn't they have people working in or around the house?

"I'm with you, Beckett, more people should have been questioned." they both sit in silence, thinking about what should have been done. "So now what? We can't go back in time to question anyone."

Becket has her phone out and dialed when she answers. "No, but we can figure out if anyone was working at the Gilbert house at the time. Esposito, hey, I need you and Ryan to look into something for me. Yeah. Find out who worked for Randall and Susan Gilbert in nineteen seventy-six and see if any of them were out at the Hamptons at that time and let me know. Kay, thanks," she says, ending the call. "We'll figure it out, Castle. I think this is a good line to follow. Something was purposely hidden and we're going to find it."

It's not long before their first cup of coffee is gone. They order another, hoping to hear from Esposito while they wait, making small talk in the meantime.

Castle notices when Beckett trails off and goes quiet, peering out the window, at what, he's not sure. "Beckett, you okay?" he asks, letting his hand drop to her knee, thumb smoothing over her kneecap.

She flips his hand, lacing their fingers together, but doesn't meet his eyes. She studies their tangled hands with a furrowed brow, teeth sinking into her lower lip. "Are you worried?" It's then that she makes eye contact.

She can see in an instant that he understands what she means by that. He knows exactly what she's asking. Because ever since she explained that Tyson was the one to set him up, Beckett can tell that he hasn't been able to truly concentrate on anything else. "It's hard not to be." He removes his hand from hers only to bring it around to rest on her shoulders, pulling her in close as if he's sinking and she's dry land. "I imagine it'll be like the first time, worrying constantly, wondering when he'll show up again. But over time the fear and worry will fade."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you last year," she whispers.

"What?" he asks, affronted. "Beckett… Kate, look at me," Castle commands as his free hand tilts her chin up to him. "You were there." She wants to protest but he doesn't let her speak. "We may not have gone home together, but you were there. You were my bright spot. Both you and Alexis. Whenever the fear tried to overtake me all I had to do was look at you or Alexis and know that it was going to be okay. I'd show up at the precinct, hand you a cup of coffee to see you smile… Kate, you have know idea what just the sight of you does for me."

She nods, leaning into the palm that's now splayed across her jaw. "I do. I do know, Rick, because you're my beacon, too."

Warm puffs of breath wash over her cheek. His eyes gleam in the truth she's just revealed. She leans further into him, brushing her lips to the jut of his jaw then letting her forehead rest against the spot she just kissed. "He can't run forever," she mumbles into his neck.

They stay like that for several minutes, lost in thought and each other, until her chirping phone brings them back to the real world. "It's Espo," she says as she turns her phone towards him to see. She accepts the call, positioning the phone between her ear and Castle's so that he can hear too. "Espo, hey, whattaya got?"

"Yo, it wasn't easy to find many of their past employees, 'cause they liked to employ illegal aliens, but we tracked one down. Guess where she lives?"

"Where?"

"Sag Harbor Village. That's in the Hamptons, Beckett." Castle and Beckett both pull back to look at one another, but Esposito is still talking.

"Her name is Rosa Peralta. She's a citizen now, but back in seventy-six she was an undocumented worker who crossed the Mexican Border illegally and made her way into Manhattan, taking housekeeping jobs for next to nothin'. The Gilberts got a hold of her and she became their head housekeeper, going with them when they'd summer in the Hamptons. How she has the means to live there now, I don't know."

Beckett listens to him finish, then jots down the address as Castle quickly clears the table. "Good work, Espo. We'll go check her out."

They're both quiet in the car. Beckett, because she just wants answers for Castle and justice for John. And Castle, because he just wants this over, she thinks.

Beckett pulls the car onto the long driveway of the secluded home. As she drives forward she takes in her surroundings, eyes always on the move. The house sits surrounded by trees in a wooded area about a mile from any large body of water. The sight is so different from Castle's beach home and the house is a little smaller, but no less inviting and beautiful.

She parks and they make their way to the front door, when it suddenly opens, an older woman appearing in the doorway. The woman's eyes find the badge that Beckett flashes. She nods and steps aside to let them in. "What can I do for you Officer?" she asks, then looks over to Castle. "Mr. Castle."

Beckett opens her mouth to speak but he beats her to it. "You know who I am?"

"Yes, of course. Please, come in and have a seat."

Once they're seated comfortably the woman speaks. "I've known who you are since you were little. I've followed you in the papers and on the news ever since, Mr. Castle."

"Your English is incredibly good, Miss Peralta, very little trace of an accent." She hasn't introduced herself but both Castle and Beckett know this is the woman they're looking for.

She smiles politely at his assertion. "Yes, well, when you live in the Hamptons, you don't want to stand out like you're the help. I learned American English very quickly. It's amazing how different people treat you when you sound like they think you should… especially when you have money."

And that's the question, isn't it, how this woman has somehow come into money?

"Miss Peralta, you were the housekeeper for Randall and Susan Gilbert in nineteen seventy-six, correct?" Beckett asks even though she already knows the answer.

"Yes, ma'am." She smiles but almost as suddenly, her face turns grim. "Up until their little John was killed."

"Why's that?" Castle jumps in.

She meets his eyes. "Were you able to stay there after he was killed, Mr. Castle?" It's not accusation, just a truth that she shares with Castle.

Beckett brings the focus back to her. "So his murder affected you?"

"Of course. I may not have been able to understand much English back then but I knew he was a sweet kid. I couldn't take the pressure once he was murdered."

Beckett frowns and turns to Castle, who's already looking at her with the same look on his face that she must be wearing. They're both confused. She turns back to Rosa. "Pressure? What pressure were you facing?"

The lady looks up to both of them. Her mouth ajar, eyes wide in shock. Beckett realizes Miss Peralta didn't mean to say that last part. "Rosa, were you there that day when John was killed?"

She nods and Beckett continues. "Did you kill him?"

"What? No! No, of course not." Miss Peralta rises from her seat, pacing back and forth in front of the sofa she was sitting on.

"Do you know who did?" Beckett and Castle both watch as the question has her halting in her tracks.

Rosa's gaze meets Beckett's. "You have to understand… I was an undocumented worker at the time. I would have been deported. At least that's what he told me."

"What who told you?" Beckett asks, irritation rising up. She wants answers and it's hard not to push.

Castle must sense the aggravation Beckett feels, so he steps in. "Rosa, just tell us what you know. You're not in trouble. We just need to know who killed John."

"Mr. Gilbert told me he'd have me deported if I didn't keep quiet." She sits back down on the sofa and takes a few seconds to gain composure. "I didn't have anything at the time and I couldn't go back to Mexico, so I did what he said. In return, Mr. Gilbert set me up nicely. He opened up an account that I had access to. Eventually, I got married to an American and became a citizen, learned English and became part of this community."

"So it was Mr. Gilbert?" Castle asks in disbelief.

"No, no. He just paid me to keep quiet. But I couldn't keep working for them after what happened." She's crying now and she gets up to grab a tissue.

She wipes her eyes and clears her throat as both Beckett and Castle wait to hear the rest of the story. "Mrs. Gilbert was known to have a bad temper. She'd yell and scream and fly off the handle at such small things. I remember that day like it was yesterday. She needed to leave the house but couldn't find John, so she had me searching for him, too. She finally saw him out on the beach and I watched out the window as she stormed out there in a rage. The boy must not have wanted to leave because I watched them argue. The next thing I knew, Mrs. Gilbert grabbed his bat and swung."

Castle sucks in a deep breath. Beckett can that his fists are clenched tight, knuckles turning white in anger. Beckett covers his hand with hers as she addresses the woman in front of them. "So you're telling me you saw Susan Gilbert kill her son, John?"

Miss Peralta sobs. "Yes."

"And Randall Gilbert paid you off to keep quiet?"

The woman nods.

* * *

After calling chief Brady to fill him in, Beckett and Castle make their way back to the house.

"I don't understand how they could live with themselves." Castle says while staring out the window of her cruiser.

She is so thankful that he finally has answers to a mystery that has plagued him most of his life, but she's not sure if these answers actually make it better or worse. "I don't either, Castle, but it's done. You don't have to wonder or worry about another killer being free."

It's not the kind of justice either of them want or hope for, but in some cruel twist of fate, Jerry Tyson inadvertently killed a killer.

The rest of the day flies by and Castle is officially cleared of any wrongdoing.

The word spreads quickly as the press gets wind of the story and Beckett is thankful that the news is no longer accusatory towards Castle in the death of John.

They both crawl into bed, exhausted and drained from the past few days of stress and strain of having to prove Castle's innocence, finding out Tyson is back, and then having to figure out who killed John.

Beckett falls into Castle's arm with a sigh. "I just got off the phone with Lanie. She was able to corroborate Rosa's story with her findings on the bat. The only other full profile of DNA on the bat was Susan's. They probably never even considered her a suspect back then, and even if they did, I'm sure the Gilbert's would have just thrown money at them to keep it quiet."

He rolls her closer so that she's now tucked perfectly into his side. "Beckett, remind me to never be accused of murder out here again."

She can't help but laugh, now that their trouble with the Hamptons PD is behind them. "You got it, stud."

Her words have him chuckling and he hums in delight, but it falls away quickly as his eyes stay on the ceiling. "What is it? What are you thinking, Castle?"

He rolls his head towards her to explain, "It was too easy."

"What was?"

"You finding Jerry's rope in the box."

Yeah. she's been thinking the same thing ever since they got Castle out of jail.

She hugs him tighter. "Yeah, well, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth," she says as she leans in to press her mouth to his. Only a second passes when they open up to each other, his tongue meeting hers. Her hand finds its way into his hair and they simultaneously moan at the sensation their kisses invoke.

As if in mutual unspoken agreement, though, they slow the kiss, and he stretches to press a kiss to her forehead after they part. "I love you, Kate. Goodnight."

She knows they'd both rather do more than sleep but their bodies ache for rest after a week of exorcising their demons. "I love you too. Night, Castle."

* * *

Sometime in the night, Beckett wakes to find that she's no longer in Castle's arms. Reaching out, she feels that his side of the bed is cold. She pries her sleepy eyes open only to be met by a dark figure above her.

It's not Castle.

She goes to scream but is smothered with a hand covering her mouth and a pin prick in her neck instead.

This time when she wakes, she's sitting up, her head hanging forward from her shoulders, both arms screaming out in protest at the way she's tied up to the headboard. Her head jerks up, coming into full cognizance.

The room is suddenly bathed in a soft glow. The lamp on one of the nightstands has been turned on and when she cranes her neck in that direction, Beckett is met with the sight of Jerry Tyson, who's eagerly grinning at her. "There you are, Detective Beckett. We've been waiting for you."

We?

"Castle!" she cries out.

He's tied up to a wooden chair at the end of the bed, reminiscent of the one in the hotel room only a year ago. His mouth has been covered with some kind of cloth that's been tied around his head and his eyes show fury when she catches his gaze.

She vaguely hears Tyson chuckle but doesn't tear her eyes away from her helpless partner. "You two really do only have eyes for each other. It's disgusting," Jerry says as he walks closer to Beckett.

Castle bristles at his proximity to her. He's trying to free himself, but they way Jerry has him harnessed to the chair, there's no use. No way he's getting free.

Bekett tugs on her own ropes but they only dig into her wrists, scraping against the delicate skin. Her shoulders burn with the exertion. She stops pulling, knowing it's a pointless cause when it's obvious Tyson knows how to tie someone up without a chance of them breaking free. "What do you want, Jerry? You here to kill us? Well just do it! Get it out of the way," Beckett spits.

He laughs again. "Now where's the fun in that? If I kill you now, I won't have anyone to play with."

Beckett sees Castle squirming in his chair out of the corner of her eye. "You won't get away with this. I work with the best detectives in the world and they won't stop until they find you, you hear me."

Her confidence must make him mad because he swings his fist into her jaw. He lands a perfect blow, the force of impact throwing her head to the side. It takes her a few seconds before she can lift it back up off her shoulder.

When she comes fully back into awareness, she hears herself moaning. She swears she's not making anymore noise but then it hits her. Castle's the one moaning not her.

Beckett finds him across the room. His face could not be any more red. He's bucking and yanking against the restraints, screaming through his gag at Tyson, who just stands there watching him struggle.

She has to calm him down. She can't think straight with him having to witness her being tortured. "Castle, hey. Look at me. Look at me, baby. I'm right here. I'm okay. Look at me, sweetheart, please."

Her pleading works as he shifts his gaze from Tyson to her. Unable to hold back the tears any longer, they stream down his face. He grunts and she just knows with everything in her that he's saying her name.

She's trying to be brave if only to help Castle, but it's a lost cause when she sees the look he's giving her. She can read the apology in the depths of blue that shine in the lamp light, can see him begging for forgiveness over something that is absolutely not his fault. She chokes a sob back at the idea of Castle blaming himself for this.

"Well isn't this sweet. You two having a conversation with your eyes as if I'm not even in the room. Well guess what? I am!" he yells. "Listen to me very carefully. I'm not going to kill either one of you. I'm not even going to hurt your girl, here, anymore, Castle. Not yet anyways."

Tyson walks over and bends down in front of Castle who is still struggling against the ropes. He lowers his voice. "You wanna know why I made it so easy on you? Why I served Detective Beckett the evidence on a silver platter so that she could so easily prove your innocence?" He pauses, making sure they're both listening. "It's because this is just a taste, a sampling of what I have in store for the two of you. This was just the appetizer." Tyson laughs then grows serious. "The main dish doesn't come until the end… and I'm just getting started."

Standing, he walks back over to the nightstand where Beckett's phone sits. He punches the screen with his finger then tosses it onto the bed next to her leg where she can see that it's calling Ryan. "Until next time," he says.

And just as quietly as he came in, Jerry Tyson walks out of the bedroom, and into the night.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** So there it is... the story I wanted to tell. Thank you all for sticking with me. This is my first COMPLETE multi chapter story and I'm pretty proud of it. Thank you to all who followed and favorited. Every single one of your reviews put a smile on my face. And the biggest thanks of all goes to Lindsey aka ipreferwestside. She Beta'd the heck out of this thing. :) Go read her stuff... she's great! And I have to give a shout out to Callie aka whatifellinlovewith. She answered questions in the beginning and encouraged me to write this. She's currently writing an advent sequel to Pulse... both are amazing! You should check those out._

 _Lastly, I know I'll probably get asked for a sequel with the way I ended this one, so I'll just say... if I can come up with a really good story that follows this one... I'll do it. But I make no promises ;)_

 _Thanks again!_

 _Andrea_


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